Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Duepre.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Dueprexe2x80x99.
The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with uniform plant habit and attractive flower bract coloration.
The new Poinsettia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 1996 of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 94-513-6, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number E-20-01, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Duepre was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in 1997. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive flower bract coloration and uniform plant habit.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminal cuttings taken at Rheinberg, Germany since 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Dueprexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Dueprexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts.
2. Dark green-colored leaves with red purple-colored petioles.
3. Uniform and rounded plant habit.
4. Early flowering; response time, about eight weeks.
5. Excellent post-production longevity.
Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection 94-513-6, plants of the new Poinsettia are more compact and flower earlier. Compared to plants of the male parent, the selection E-20-01, plants of the new Poinsettia are more compact and flower earlier.
Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Spotlight Dark Red, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Spotlight Dark Red in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than plants of the cultivar Spotlight Dark Red.
2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had narrower leaves and shorter petioles than plants of the cultivar Spotlight Dark Red.
3. Plants of the new Poinsettia had smaller flower bracts than plants of the cultivar Spotlight Dark Red.
4. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Spotlight Dark Red.